+3 Interview: Meeting at 33

“Inspired by my mum’s battle with alcoholism – she is now 9 and a half years sober!”

WHO: Hannah Samuels, Writer/Director/Performer

WHAT:“Alcoholics’ recovery meetings are happening all around us, all the time. While the people in those rooms never chose to be there, they are privy to some remarkable personal storytelling. Created through extensive anonymous interviews with addicts and retold verbatim, Meeting at 33 offers a unique opportunity to experience a recovery meeting. Unveiling a subject that is too frequently taboo through hope and humour, light and shade, we invite you to consider the universal addictive tendencies which live within all of us.”

As a company, this is our first time to Edinburgh! But many of the company have been involved in Edinburgh shows in the past – couple of first-timers though, they don’t know what they’re getting themselves in for…

Tell us about your show.

Second Circle Theatre are bringing: 16 true stories, 8 company members and 2 alcoholics’ recovery meetings to Edinburgh – which one will you attend?

Meeting at 33 consists of two verbatim plays which have been developed through extensive anonymous interviews with addicts. They were inspired by my mum’s battle with alcoholism – she is now 9 and a half years sober!

I wrote the plays to challenge the “popular image” of the alcoholic on the park bench, and instead to portray the truth of what is it to live with alcoholism.

We have developed an innovative, flexible structure allowing different combinations of stories to be told at each ‘meeting’. This has enabled us to communicate the many different experiences of what it is to be an alcoholic. With tea, biscuits and life-affirming verbatim storytelling, we invite you to consider the universal addictive tendencies which live within us all.

Meeting at 33 is premiering in Edinburgh, but we are hoping to tour afterwards as we strive to promote awareness of alcoholism!

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?